US2885812A - Gun supporting slings - Google Patents

Description

May 12, 1959 L. G. ARPIN 2,885,812

GUN SUPPORTING SLINGS Filed om. 19. 1956 INVENTOR; Zea/v 6: 14/2 United States Patent 2,885,812 GUN SUPPORTING 'srnscs Leon G. Arpin, North Caldwell, NJ.

Application October 19, 1956, Serial No. 617,093

3 Claims. (Cl. 42-85) This invention relates to gun supports or slings for v facilitating the carrying of a gun. a

The gun carrier of this invention is very simply applied to and disengaged from a gun butt. Although the gun may be used while the sling is connected it will substantially always release from the gun when the gun is raised for firing. In this way it will ofier no impediment to controlled firing. I The invention is realized by providing an adaptor gun butt plate which is substituted for the normal gun butt. Of course, it is realized that the particular plate provided in this invention may be original equipment. However, considering the device as an adaptor plate, after removing the conventional gun butt plate, the adaptor plate is secured to the gun butt. The adaptor plate is provided'with a recess slot which enables a shoulder strap with a supporting pin to be secured to the adaptor plate through said slot. The supporting pin is rotatable in the slot so that the gun can assume any desired carrying position and is further permitted to release almost instantaneously preparatory to firing.

In a modified form, the adaptor plate is formed of resilient rubber so that it serves as a recoil pad. The recess slot is provided by means of a metal insert embedded in the rubber and which is formed with the required slots for receiving the supporting pin.

In a further modified embodiment, the adaptor plate is of live rubber but is further provided with a sleeve which slips on to the gun butt so that it is unnecessary to screw the device to the gun butt as in the previous embodiments.

Finally, an embodiment is shown which is insertable between the gun butt and the conventional gun butt plate which is retained for use. All the embodiments herein are shown as having opposing recess slots so that either one may be used thus accommodating the device to either left-handed or right-handed users.

The invention will be further understood from the following description and drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective, fragmentary view of the improved sling as connected to a gun butt;

Figure 2 is an elevational, fragmentary view of the modified gun butt adapted for receiving the carrying strap;

Figure 3 is a longitudinal, cross-sectional view of the modified gun butt as illustrated in Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a longitudinal, cross-sectional view similar to Figure 3 with the carrying strap removed but illustrating a modified embodiment, the view being shown as taken substantially along the line 44 of Figure 5;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary elevational view of the modified adaptor plate;

Figure 6 is a fragmentary view similar to Figure 2 but illustrating a further modified embodiment;

Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view as taken along the line 7--7 of Figure 6; and

Figure 8 is a fragmentary view similar to Figure 2 but illustrating an additional modified embodiment.

The sling comprises an adjustable carrying strap 10 such as was shown in my co-pending application Serial No. 605,365, filed August 21, 1956, now Patent Number 2,828,058. The strap is suspended as usual, from the opposite shoulder of the user. Arm 11 is supported by the strap 10. Arm 11 is rigid and may have a coatmg or jacket of soft plastic or rubber material so as to avoid marring the gun butt finish. I

Integral with arm 11 is a perpendicularly disposed stem 13 which is reduced in diameter at 14 to provide circular supporting pin 15. The stem .including the pin 15 is preferably of metal.

The adaptor plate 16 may be formed of conventional plastic materials such as nylon or the like although it may be conveniently formed of aluminum or other metal if desired. It may be in the order of V2" thick and is formed with passages 17 enabling the plate to be secured to a gun butt. It may be observed that ordinarily the factory supplied gun butt plate will be removed and the plate 16 substituted. The same screws will be reapplied through the passages 17 with the inner face 16a abutting the outer face of the gun butt base.

- The sides of the adaptor plate 16 are each provided with countersunk V-shapedslots 18 having an enlarged entrance passage 19 terminating in an inner apex. This apex constitutes the closed end of slot 18 and comprises a countersunk recess 20 forming a seat for the pin'15. The countersunk recess is formed by undercutting the sides of the V peripherally to provide a V-shaped groove 21. The V-shaped slots 18 have their apices or inner recesses 20 extending in the direction of inner faces 16a of the adaptor plate, the entrance passage ormouth 19 extending oppositely or toward the outer face of the adaptor plate.

The arm 11 is connected to the installed adaptor plate by slipping the pin 15 into the entrance passage 19 so that it becomes seated in the countersunk recess 20, such recess being, of course, continuous with the entrance 19. It will be understood therefore that the pin 15 is capable of rotating movement within the recess 20 while nevertheless securely supporting the gun in a variety of suspended positions. As above stated, both sides of the adaptor plate are formed with slots 18 to accommodate both right and left-handed users.

In Figure 4, is shown an adaptor plate 25 which is formed of live rubber so that it functions as a recoil pad. In this event, it is desirable to supply a metal or hard plastic insert 26 at the sides of the plate in which is formed the countersunk recess 20a. It is apparent that a live rubber recess would be undesirable since it might encourage accidental disengagement of the supporting pin.

The live rubber embodiment of Figure 4 further lends itself to facilitate installation requiring neither removal of the factory supplied butt plate nor fastening by screws. Thus it is shown as being provided with an integral soft rubber sleeve 27 which embraces the gun butt 28 including its original butt plate 29 so that screwing the adaptor plate to the gun butt is unnecessary. Thus, the adaptor may comprise the live rubber butt plate together with the integral sleeve which is simply slipped over the gun butt so as to be firmly secured thereon. The metal insert 26 serves the same function as hereinabove described.

It is understood that both opposing inserts 26 may be integral or may comprise two separate pieces one on each side of the adaptor plate.

In the previous embodiments, the slots 18 are formed wholly in side walls of the adaptor plate which is made thick enough to so form them. However, in the embodiment of Figure 6, adaptor plate 30 is shown as a thin,

planar metal plate 05 the same general configuration as the conventional butt plate which is shown as at 31. Plate 30 is formed with a pair of oppositely disposed, inwardly depending ears32 and 33 having slots either of which may be used depending upo'nwhether the'us'er is left-handed or right-handed. Eachear is' V-shaped and formed with 'an entrance opening 341arger than the seating recess 35. Seating recess 35 is the apex of a V- shaped groove in which the pin 15 becomes seated.

This last-named embodiment is employed by temporarily removing the conventional gun butt plate 31 and then inserting the adaptor plate 30 between the conventional gun'buttplate and the gun butt, using the same screws to re-fasten the-elements. It may be noted that the adaptor plate 30 may, if desired, be secured outwardly of the Conventional gun butt plate where it will perform substantially the same function.

' In any of the above embodiments, it

will be under? stood that a locking. pin 35 as shown in Figure 8 may I be employed to prevent release of the gun when it is brought into firing. position.

In such a case, the pin 35 willbe'slid across the recess 35 into keeper 36 and will prevent disengagement of the pin from the recess 'when the gun is brought into firing position; In this case, the gun 'will be used while the sling is connected thereto.

It will also be noted that since the gunacts as -a weight upon the. sling, the layers of the adjustable strap and may conveniently be used to hold shells or the like I whichare immediately available to the user before he 10 as shown in Figure 1 will be brought closer together '30 with. The pin 15 is further most easily returned to its slot when desired.

While I have described what I believe to be the best in an outer side wall of the body of said plate, a pin removably and rotatably received in the apex of said slot, a rigid arm at one end of which said pin is integrally and perpendicularly formed, and a carrying belt connected to the other end of said arm.

'2. A gun carrier according to claim 1 and wherein said slot is undercut to provide a peripheral groove along the sides of the V.

3. A gun carrier according-to claim 2 and wherein said plate comprises an inner 'face which is secured to the gun butt base, said V-shaped slot extendingperpendicularly to said plate and having its apex in the direction of said inner face and its mouth in the direction of the outer face of said plate, .theback of said slot being closed.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 777,095 Harvey I Dec. 13, 1904 1,425,353 Burbery Sept. S 1922, swan il am June 124.4. FOREIGN PATENTS 597,376 Germany May 24, 1934

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